1. Keep your mala beads in a clean place, preferably on your altar or in a silk mala bag.

2. Before wearing your mala, touch the guru bead on your bowed forehead, preferably at your third eye center.

3. Do not ever allow anyone touch or use your mala.

4. Avoid showing your mala to other people. More importantly, keep the guru bead hidden from view.

5. Always remove your mala when defecating, sleeping or having intimate moments.

6. It’s essential to keep your mala beads clean and well maintained. If the beads become chipped, cracked, or broken you should have the mala repaired or replaced.

7. The best time for meditation is one and a half hours before sunrise which is when purity and steadiness is most predominant. Sunset is the next best time, followed by noon, which the third time.

8. It is always necessary to bathe or wash your hands, feet, and face and brush your teeth, and always put on fresh, clean clothing before beginning meditation.

9. Face in the direction of East or North when practicing meditation. It is thought that facing in either direction is considered to be in the presence of God and is considered the most beneficial and potent direction to be positioned while praying or meditating.

10. Have a clean and special seat prepared for your meditation. If at all possible, sit on a rug and use a cushion.

11. Importantly, you should sit in the same place and at the same time every day for meditation. Meditate in a room which is calm and quiet or sit on the bank of a river.

12. Observe silence and remove all external distractions during meditation.

13. Maintain a steady seated meditation position, making certain the position is comfortable and stable so it will not create distractions.

14. Do not hold your mala necklace to below your navel while practicing meditation. Hold your mala during meditation at the heart center or in front of your third eye.

15. Use the middle finger and the thumb of the right hand to touch and move the beads with your meditation prayers. Using your index finger is prohibited as it represents the ego mind.

16. Commit to complete a certain minimum number of prayers before ending your meditation. Keep track of your meditation and try to increase the amount of prayers gradually over time.

17. Keep your meditation and prayers a secret.

18. Carefully choose a prayer based on your personal goals and intentions.

19. Your prayer should be clear and distinct, without any mistakes. If you make a mistake repeat the prayer.

20. Do not practice meditation hurriedly or carelessly. Do it slowly and mindfully with feeling, focus, and single-minded devotion.

21. Find a tempo that engages your focus. Repeating a prayer too slowly will create boredom while repeating too fast will scatter your focus.